Patriot Coal shifts headquarters to West Virginia; lower costs, proximity to operations cited

Patriot Coal Corp. says it has relocated its headquarters from St. Louis to West Virginia.

The company's operations office in Scott Depot became its headquarters effective Jan. 1. Patriot spokeswoman Janine Orf said about 40 jobs will shift to Scott Depot.

Patriot President and CEO Bennett K. Hatfield said in a news release that the move will reduce administrative costs and put the corporate headquarter closer to mining operations and customers.

The transition began in November and is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2015.

The company's West Virginia office was moved from Charleston to the Putnam County location last year.

Patriot Coal has eight mining complexes in West Virginia and two in western Kentucky.

The company, which employs about 4,000, emerged from bankruptcy in late 2013.